A Clockwork Orange reference? Anyone? Well, today, I’m going to talk about my gulliver–specifically my learning and thinking styles. Prior to beginning Phase 0 at Dev Bootcamp, we were asked to assess these two things. So I checked out my personal thinking style first. The Gregorc Mind Styles model gives us a way to compartmentalize how our minds work. It is broken up into four categories, which each contain one perceptual quality (either concrete or abstract) and one ordering ability (sequential or random).
Looking at my quiz results, I ended up with 10 for I (10 x 4 = 40), 6 for II (6 x 4 = 24), 10 for III (10 x 4 = 40), and 1 for IV (1 x 4 = 4). So I tied for the most points with I and II, which ended up being Concrete Sequential and Abstract Random, respectively, and not too much lower, was Abstract Sequential. The lowest (almost so low that it didn’t even count) was Concrete Random. I took that test maybe three weeks ago, and I was curious to see how much difference there would be if I took the quiz again. So I did just a few minutes ago and got 10 for I (9 x 4 = 36), 8 for II (8 x 4 = 32), 11 for III (11 x 4 = 44), and 1 for IV (2 x 4 = 8). The results are pretty similar, with Concrete Sequential and Abstract Random having the most points. So, now that I know what my thinking styles are I can take a look at the following chart to actually see what these thinking styles mean and see if I feel like I fit into these categories.
Huh, well my top two thinking styles (especially since they tied the first time) seem to be kind of contradictory in some parts, although, I can definitely agree with a lot of what both of them are saying. And while I look at the category “what’s hard for them,” I feel my biggest struggle so far in Phase 0 has been learning by myself. While we do pair, which is helpful, I learn best from listening to people explain things, seeing demonstrations, and doing examples myself (office hours, thank you!). When a question comes up, I find it difficult to explain through written words. If I show someone the question or problem and verbalize it, I feel like I am able to communicate better and understand the answer a lot better, too. A good portion of the learning so far has been reading based. I’ve always had trouble getting through textbooks and even informative non-fiction without getting distracted or falling asleep. So I need to get better at reading and really digest the information. And for that, I think practice is what’s going to get it done.
So what can I take away from this to help me apply my thinking style(s) to my time at DBC? For starters, I do like working in groups, or with a partner, but there has to be good communication and respect. But, I think that just goes for any group effort. At the same time, I’m pretty introverted, and so I also have to work on my communication skills so that I can get the most out of this experience. Plus, it’s not only helpful at DBC, but in life in general. Also, I do like having the facts and having strict guidelines (though, I also have a minor in studio art and love art…like, wtfbbq?). Ambiguity really causes me headaches, especially in instructions. In every class I’ve taken concerning a foreign language, the teacher has always given me a hard time (in a joking way, of course) about asking “why” all the time. I think in many situations, asking a lot of questions is better than asking none at all. And I plan to keep asking questions.
As far as mindset goes, through psychologist Carol Dweck’s research, she found that there are those with fixed mindsets and growth mindsets, though, most people have both (one might be more prominent than the other). Their names are both pretty self-explanatory, but with a fixed mindset, you believe that you can only learn so much, be so smart, and it’s determined when you’re born. Therefore, there is no reason to put in more effort than needed, challenges are a waste of effort since you think you’ll probably fail, and those who seem “smarter” than you are always a threat. On the other hand, there is the growth mindset, in which you believe that you can accumulate more knowledge–there is no real “ceiling” for knowledge and learning. And because of this, challenges are seen as something to help you gain more knowledge whether you fail or not because failure isn’t seen as a true failure, but something to learn from. Those who seem “smarter” than you are not enemies or threats, but sources of inspiration.
I hadn’t really thought about it much before, but I realize that I have both of these mindsets. I have my doubts a lot, but I’m slowly changing my thinking to a growth mindset. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad to have fixed mindset unless that’s the majority of your thinking and it gets in the way of learning, growing, and your feeling of self-worth. I’m not the most confident person, and like others, some days I’m more confident than others. I think having confidence has a lot to do with a growth mindset, and it’s a process, but it’s something I’m definitely working on.